1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to till planting apparatus for planting on ridges and in particular to an improved ridge tiller assembly for adapting conventional row-crop planters for use in minimum tillage planting on row ridges.
Minimum tillage ridge planting involves planting of a new crop in the crests of row ridges remaining from a previous crop, without prior preparatory tillage or prior removal of stover or other plant residue remaining from the preceding crop cycle. In recent years, the practice of minimum tillage ridge planting has become increasingly popular among farmers in growing various so called row-crops. Here, "row-crops" refers to corn, soybeans, and other crops which are grown in rows that are spaced apart a sufficient distance to permit tillage between the rows during plant growth.
It has been found that various crops can be grown more efficiently when planted on a ridge formed in conjunction with previous crops. Such ridges may be formed or at least reformed or enhanced during cultivation of the previous crop. The ridges resulting from such cultivation tend to warm and dry to desirable planting conditions earlier in the planting season than the remainder of the soil profile because the ridges are raised above the troughs between the ridges. Thus the ridges are drained better and are more exposed to the sun. Tillage is significantly reduced with this system, as compared to typical full tillage operations, with attendant savings in costs. Because there is no deep tillage to bring up dormant weed seeds, weed control is made easier.
Further, compaction of the seed bed is avoided, and leaving the crop residue on the surface helps reduce soil erosion.
While ridge tilling has become popular, typically it is not done in end rows where field equipment normally turns. In such places, conventional flat planting is practiced to maintain a more even terrain for easier crossing of the rows by the field equipment. Also, farmers may desire to plant some fields with traditional tillage and attendant flat field planting. As a result, planters should be convertible from having ridge planting capabilities to flat planting capabilities. In addition, where planters are too wide to move along roadways or through fence gates, they must have the ability to be folded, generally along the tool bar, so that such transport can be done conveniently. Ridge tillage attachments should not interfere with such foldability.
The components that have become available for adapting conventional planters to accommodate the ridges and troughs encountered and used in minimum tillage ridge planting are generally designed to be attached to a tool bar of conventional planters. One function of these ridge tools is to prepare the ridge for planting by clearing it of residue. Numerous tools can be attached to such tool bars, depending upon the desired end result.
Some of the commercially available systems used to prepare ridges for planting include a two-wheel attachment which straddles each ridge. A series of such units are attached to the tool bar of the planter and as a whole these units guide the planter along the ridges. Other ridge preparation attachments include cutting coulters sometimes in the form of a pair of discs that split through the residue or other material at the top of the ridge. Another attachment includes a sweep which acts as a scraper or plow to move away the debris and flatten the top of the ridge to form a cleared crest to prepare it for the formation of a furrow and seed implantation by the respective row planter unit. As uneven ground or rocks can be encountered, the attachments also need a system which will maintain a desired downward force or pressure to effect the intended tool operation while facilitating up and down movement of the apparatus to form a prepared surface. In many of the commercially available planters and attachments, this is accomplished by the use of a parallelogram linkage design which is part of the main planter to which the components are attached. Alternatively, a second parallelogram linkage system can be part of a unit with other components for ridge clearing. In any event, the design of the parallelogram linkage allows for up and down movement of the attachments to follow the ground level and to allow the attachments to ride up over rocks and other obstacles.
In commercially available systems for ridge preparation, tension springs are located across the linkages to bias the attachments downward. Coupled with the weight of the equipment, the attachments are forced into the ground so that the coulter can cut through the residue.
Some commercially available ridge planters include ridge tillage apparatus as well as seed planting means and soil covering apparatus such as packer wheels which follow the attachments used for ridge tillage.
It is desirable to have a ridge tillage unit which can be used to readily convert a planter from a conventional flat planter to a minimum-tillage ridge planter and vice versa. Such convertability is particularly needed for situations where ridge planting is not desirable, as at end rows. As discussed earlier, flat planting is usually done in such rows and a ridge attachment is needed that can allow flat planting to be done, in soft or hard soil, without the ridge planter assembly hampering the procedure. Another feature desired for a ridge tillage unit is to have wheels which guide both the tillage unit and the associated planter unit along a ridge. By guiding the units along a row, the units can be driven collectively along a series of ridges and the entire planter can operate atop the ridges. Another requirement for a ridge tillage unit is to have the ability to effectively penetrate, sever and clear away the residue at the peak of the ridge and to flatten the ridge so that a furrow can be formed and seeds planted at a predetermined depth. Another feature of a ridge planting attachment is to be designed to enable a planter, which is too wide to be transported along a road or through an opening, to be folded along its tool bar so that it can be narrowed in its conventional manner of operation.
It is an object of this invention to provide an improved ridge tillage attachment which meets the aforestated requirements and desirable characteristics.
It is another object of this invention to provide a detachable ridge tillage apparatus that can be removed easily from the remainder of the planter to convert it for flat planting or to enable the tool bar to be folded.
It is another object of this invention to provide a ridge tillage attachment with wheels that straddle a respective ridge and guide the entire planter.
It is another object of this invention to provide a ridge tillage attachment that can effectively cut through the residue on the ridge and clear it away so as to prepare the ridge for planting.
It is another object of the invention to provide ridge tillage attachments with an improved down-pressure arrangement.
Further and additional objects of this invention will appear from the following description, accompanying drawings and appended claims.